M3 repair

[hawkdriver]

I picked up a M3 Camillus knife today for a good price. The top two leather washers are missing and when in the scabbard, are covered up, so not bad for display. However, I would like to repair this and was wondering if anyone knew how to do this. I was thinking of taking a Camillus pilot survival knife and using the leather off of it, but do not know if the tangs are the same size. Anyone know the best way to fix this?

[doyler]

Hawkdriver,

A pilots knife may work.You may also find a late issue kabar style knife as well.A guy I know who builds knives had some parts as he would re-handle the newer camillus/ontario/kabar Mk2 style knives with antlers.

 

I have in the past had scrap leather I had bought at Tandy.It was a russet color.I would draw out or trace a pattern of a washer,cut it out in a oval pattern and then proceed to make or cut out the mid section of the oval to fit around the tang.I had to cut the oval as I didnt remove the pommel from the top of the tang.My repair was at the bottom of the grip next to the guard,The guard had reacted with the leather and the washers crumbled.I proceeded to slip the notched oval washer around the tang and pressed it in to the area to fit.I then used an epoxy to glue it into place.I have used JB weld also as the guard was a little loose to begin with.I then took two small pieces of wood(pine 1x2s) and place them as tight as I could to the guard at the same time compressing the guard up and to the replaced washer(s).Used a small C-clamp to secure the wood blocks in place.The blocks helped keep it all to gether and kept the clamp from scuffing th blade.

 

It worked out well and I was able to stain the leather a darker color to match using shoe polish.The liquid type works best and can finnish off with paste then leather treatment.I used pecards.

 

I guess you could use Gorilla glue as I have had good results with it also.You can trime the glue down if it swells/bubbles out as it dries.Wait til hardened and trim or lightly sand.

 

I will try to post my repair sometime.The knife wasnt the prettiest gal in the tent but I wanted to keep it with its original M6 scabbard and the knife was a blade marked PAL.

 

Hope this helps.The other option is to take it to a guy that makes knives and have him replace the washer by removing the pommel but this will shorten the knife as the tang/pommel will be ground down to remove.Unless he can remove the pins on your camillus.

 

 

 

RON

[hawkdriver]

Thanks Ron, if I can't get it fixed professionally, I may have to try your technique.

Does anyone know of someone that may have repair parts, i.e. leather washers? Anyone that may repair these knives professionally?

[nuke41]

Thanks Ron, if I can't get it fixed professionally, I may have to try your technique.

Does anyone know of someone that may have repair parts, i.e. leather washers? Anyone that may repair these knives professionally?

 

Dont know anyone, but the above description is good on how to repair them. I've seen a few apart, they werent glued, just press held together. Maybe make a theater type knife handle, those were common alterations and anything goes as long as you use materials that would have been period correct.

[gunbarrel]

Camillus used to refer folks who needed their leather-handle knives like the Mark 2 and the M3 trench repaired to a gentleman by the name of Eugene Blankenship. He replaced pommels and leather grips; supposedly he did a great job for a fair price. I don't know if he still does it, or not, but his contact info was as follows:

 

Eugene Blankenship

 

Phone # 731-723-7575

 

E-mail: [email protected]

[hawkdriver]

that is exactly what I am looking for, thank you.

[brad k]

dixie gun works used to sell the leather disc's, I never got any but have seen them in the catalog.

[doyler]

I finally got the M3 dug out that I had done a repir to on the grip.Here is how it turned out using the method I described earlier.

 

RON

 

[doyler]

The guard was loose so I placed a leather shim/spacer just above the grossguard.Also had to reshape the tip slightly and the lower edge had been ground and had a couple of large chips out of the blade.Had seen some use and abuse so I figured I wasnt out anything by working it over a little. This pic is close up of right side of the blade.

 

RON

 

[doyler]

This is a pic of the left side showing spacer repair.

 

RON

 

[gunbarrel]

Ron,

 

You did an excellent job--very professional! Congratulations.

[doyler]

Ron,

 

You did an excellent job--very professional! Congratulations.

 

 

GB,

Thanks for the kind comments.It was rather a crude repair.Just cut an oval out of thick tanned natural leather.Cut one end open on the leather repair oval and pressed it into place.added a lille JB weld between the guard and leather,took a couple small thin pine boards and pressed and clamped them under the guard as stated earlier..Did this to take up the slack in the guard.Also works if a lower section of grip leather is missing.

 

Since it was a PAL and I didnt have a blade marked one I wanted to preserve it.I had the thought of just swapping out the scabbard to a nicer knife but the two came together and I wanted to keep the together.I think my dad or I got this at a outdoor flea market for around $18 in the 1980s.

 

RON